Refillable matchbook cover



W. R. DIEHL REFILLABLE MATCHBOOK COVER Filed Oct. 22, 1965 I N VEN TOR.

WILLIAM ROBERT DIEHL ZXz/a ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,306,435 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,436 REFILLABLE MATCHBOOK COVER William Robert Diehl, Haddam, Conn., assignor to Rowland Products, lncorporated, Kensington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,741

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-29) The present invention relates to matchbook covers and more particularly to a refillable matchbook cover of synthetic plastic material for enclosing a conventional book of safety matches.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel matchbook cover of synthetic plastic material which is compact, highly attractive and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also an object to provide such a matchbook cover that is used to enclose a conventional book of matches and which provides a highly attractive decorative surface and is easy to manipulate.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed specification and the attached drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a matchbook cover embodying the present invention with the front flap held open and illustrated in phantom line is a conventional book of safety matches being inserted into the cover by fingers of a person using the matchbook cover.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the cover of FIGURE 1 with the front wall panel in closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view thereof.

It has now been found that the foregoing objects and other advantages may be readily attained in an integrally formed, refillable matchbook cover of relatively rigid synthetic plastic sheet material for use with a conventional book of safety matches. The cover has a plurality of folds therein providing front, top, rear, bottom and retaining wall panels forming an enclosure. The retaining wall panel extends in spaced relationship from the rear wall panel toward the top panel and has a retaining flap depending from the upper end thereof for engagement behind the striking flap of a book of matches to retain it within the enclosure between the retaining wall and rear wall panels. A transversely extending aperture in the retaining wall panel exposes the abrasive striking surface on the engaged striking flap of the book of matches retained within the cover so that the head of a match may be struck thereagainst through the cover. The free or bottom end of the front wall panel is engaged inwardly of the retaining wall panel and retaining flap thus providing a hinged closure for the cover and the enclosed book of matches.

A book of conventional safety matches may be adapted for use with the refillable matchbook cover by removing the front or closure panel and a portion of the back wall panel so that" only the striking flap and the lower portion of the back wall remain of the original enclosure for the strips of safety matches received therebetween. The book of safety matches may then be slid into the enclosure formed by the refillable matchbook cover with the retaining flap of the retaining wall panel disposed between the strips of matches and the striking flap of the book of matches. Thus, when placed in position, the flap on the retaining wall panel retains the book of matches within the enclosure formed by the refillable matchbook cover by preventing movement longitudinally within the cover. When all the matches of the matchbook cover have been used, the remaining portion of the matchbook cover may be removed from the cover and a new book of matches similarly adapted and inserted therein.

The refillable matchbook cover is made of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material which desirably has a decorative surface to enhance the attractiveness of the matchbook cover by placing advertising or informational matter on the decorative surface. The cover is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and thus may be used as a give-away item for advertising and promotional purposes. The synthetic plastic material is desirably flame resistant to prevent inadvertent burning of the matchbook cover and injury to the user.

Various synthetic plastic materials may be used such as polycarbonate, biaxially oriented polystyrene, cellulose esters, polypropylene and polypropylene-polyethylene copolymers. The sheet material may have a thickness of about 7-20 mils so long as it retains suflicient flexibility at the folds commensurate with suflicient semi-rigidity to provide a satisfactory enclosure. Polycarbonate sheet material of about 1020 mils has been found highly advantageous because it lends itself to provision of a decorative surface, is semi-rigid, and may be folded readily to form the panels of the matchbook cover while retaining sufficient flexibility along the fold lines so that the matchbook cover may be opened and closed many times without cracking along the fold lines.

Referring now in detail to the attached drawing, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein a refillable matchbook cover generally designated by the numeral 10 is folded to provide a front wall panel 12, a top Wall panel 14, a rear Wall panel 16, a bottom wall panel 18, and a retaining wall panel 20 forming an enclosure 22. The retaining wall panel 20 has a reversely folded retaining flap 24 depending from the upper end thereof for engagement with a book of safety matches generally designated by the numeral 28 between the striking fiap 26 and the strips of matches 30. A transversely extending elongated aperture 32 is formed in the retaining wall panel 20 which exposes the underlying abrasive striking surface of the striking flap 26 so that matches may be struck therethrough.

The rear wall panel 16, bottom wall panel 18, and retaining -wall panel 20 form a channel-shaped enclosure at the lower portion of the matchbook cover 10 for the book of matches 28 with the retaining flap 24 securing the matchbook against longitudinal movement while retained within the matchbook cover 10. The front Wall panel 12 may be readily opened along the hinge formed by the top wall panel 14- and may be held in closed position behind the retaining flap 24 by the inherent resiliency of the material or frictional engagement between the retaining flap 24 and the strips of matches 30.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, a conventional book of matches 28 is adpated for use with the cover 10 by having its front panel (not shown) and a portion of its rear panel 29 removed by transversely severing the rear panel 29 so that only the lower portion of the rear panel 291, striking flap 26 and strips of matches 30 remain. The book of matches 28 then may be inserted within the matchbook cover 10 by sliding the matchbook 28 transversely into the enclosure 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 so that retainig flap 24 is disposed between the striking flap 26 and the strips of matches 30 whereby the book of matches 28 is restrained from other than transverse movement within the matchbook cover 10, and this transverse movement is inhibited by the frictional contact of the retaining flap 24 With the striking flap 26 and strips of matches 28 as well as the frictional contact with the front Wall panel 12.

The matchbook cover 10 may be made of semi-rigid synthetic plastic sheet material which may be easily folded to form the necessary panels of the matchbook cover 10. The material should be sufliciently resilient, however, so that the front panel 12 may be opened repeatedly along the folds forming the top wall panel 14 to expose for use the underlying matches 30.

Thus, the present invention provides a novel matchbook cover which is compact, highly attractive and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The retaining wall panel provides a retaining flap for securing a conventional book of matches within the enclosure formed by the matchbook cover, and the cover is easily manipulated and readily refillable when all the matches have been used. If so desired, the synthetic plastic sheet material may be embosed, painted, printed or otherwise finished to form a highly attractive decorative surface for the match'book cover.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A matchbook cover assembly comprising: a conventional book of safety matches having a fragmentary portion of the rear panel thereof, the striking flap and strips of matches; and an integrally formed, refillable matchbook cover of relatively rigid, resiliently defiectable synthetic plastic sheet material, said cover having a plurality of folds therein providing front, top, rear, bottom and retaining wall panels enclosing said book of safety matches, said retaining wall panel extending in spaced relationship from said rear wall panel toward said top wall panel and having a retaining flap depending from the upper end thereof engaging between the striking flap and said strips of matches to retain said book within said enclosure between said retaining wall and rear wall panels, said retaining wall panel having a transversely extending aperture exposing the striking surface on the engaged striking flap of said book of matches, the free end of said front wall panel being engaged be' tween said strips of matches and said retaining flap and resiliently bearing against said retaining flap to provide a hinged closure for said cover and said book of matches, said front wall panel being disengagea'ble between said strips of matches and said retaining flap and pivotable about its fold with said top wall panel to expose said strips of matches for removal of one of said matches, said conventional book of safety matches being removable from said cover by sliding movement in the direction of the sides of said cover to permit insertion thereinto of a new book of safety matches of similar construction.

2. The matchbook cover assembly of claim 1 wherein said synthetic plastic is polycarbonate.

3. The matchbook cover assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer surface thereof is decorative.

4. The match-book cover assembly of claim 1 wherein said synthetic plastic sheet material is relatively flame resistant.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1917 OMalley 206.33 11/1918 Larrabee. 

1. A MATCHBOOK COVER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A CONVENTIONAL BOOK OF SAFETY MATCHES HAVING A FRAGMENTARY PORTION OF THE REAR PANEL THEREOF, THE STRIKING FLAP AND STRIPS OF MATCHES; AND AN INTEGRALLY FORMED, REFILLABLE MATCHBOOK COVER OF RELATIVELY RIGID, RESILIENTLY DEFLECTABLE SYNTHETIC PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL, SAID COVER HAVING A PLURALITY OF FOLDS THEREIN PROVIDING FRONT, TOP, REAR, BOTTOM AND RETAINING WALL PANELS ENCLOSING SAID BOOK OF SAFETY MATCHES, SAID RETAINING WALL PANEL EXTENDING IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID REAR WALL PANEL TOWARD SAID TOP WALL PANEL AND HAVING A RETAINING FLAP DEPENDING FROM THE UPPER END THEREOF ENGAGING BETWEEN THE STRIKING FLAP AND SAID STRIPS OF MATCHES TO RETAIN SAID BOOK WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE BETWEEN SAID RETAINING WALL AND REAR WALL PANELS, SAID RETAINING WALL PANEL HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING APERTURE EXPOSING THE STRIKING SURFACE ON THE ENGAGED STRIKING FLAP OF SAID BOOK OF MATCHES, THE FREE END OF SAID FRONT WALL PANEL BEING ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID STRIPS OF MATCHES AND SAID RETAINING FLAP AND RESILIENTLY BEARING AGAINST SAID RETAINING FLAP TO PROVIDE A HINGED CLOSURE FOR SAID COVER AND SAID BOOK OF MATCHES, SAID FRONT WALL PANEL BEING DISENGAGEABLE BETWEEN SAID STRIPS OF MATCHES AND SAID RETAINING FLAP AND PIVOTABLE ABOUT ITS FOLD WITH SAID TOP WALL PANEL TO EXPOSE SAID STRIPS OF MATCHES FOR REMOVAL OF ONE OF SAID MATCHES, SAID CONVENTIONAL BOOK OF SAFETY MATCHES BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAID COVER BY SLIDING MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SIDES OF SAID COVER TO PERMIT INSERTION THEREINTO OF A NEW BOOK OF SAFETY MATCHES OF SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION. 